


Rintori week 2016

by Scmnz



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M, RinTori Week, rintori week 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2016-11-17
Packaged: 2018-08-30 19:21:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8546005
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scmnz/pseuds/Scmnz
Summary: These are the works I posted to tumblr for rintori week 2016. I am not a particularly good writer, but I love this pairing so I gave it my best shot. I hope some people can still enjoy!
Chapter 1:Rin has finally made up with his friends in the Iwatobi team, and Nitori is happy for him, truly, except





	1. Not Needed Anymore

**Author's Note:**

> Day 1: senpai and kohai
> 
> Rin has finally made up with his friends in the Iwatobi team, and Nitori is happy for him, truly, except…

Nitori watched as Rin joined his old friends, finally making up with them. It was going to be so good for Rin, that things were going to get better after this race. Nitori felt happy for him, Truly. This was a good thing.

Ai told himself this, over and over, until his own race was done. And it was able to get him through with a time he could be proud of. He’d done his part for the team. And so now, he could let himself experience what he’d blocked out for so many months.

Nitori slipped out into the lockers to be alone. The rest of the team was watching the race’s as they continued. And Rin was with his real friends. Nitori dropped himself onto a bench with a small thud, and closed his eyes as memories came back.

Rin in his anger snapping “Your just annoying me, go away!” Or demanding Nitori to leave him alone. Ai understood these times. His senpai was hurting, the man he admired so much. His pain was deep. All Nitori could do was be there for his senpai. Even if he wasn’t wanted, He’d stay by Rin’s side.

And even though Rin was angry and moody almost all the time, Ai grew to care for him more and more. Rin became far greater to him than Just a senpai he admired. He learned to deal with the moods, and how to actually help. He was making great progress. And yet… “Your just a pathetic kohai, go annoy one of the others!” and so on. Nitori learned to block these out, it wasn’t really how Rin felt. Except maybe…

But there was the time when it hurt the most, the time Ai hadn’t managed to get rid of, that still remained echoing in his head. “What do you think, you can ever replace them? That you’ll ever mean as much to me as they do him. Stop trying. You’re just a kohai, never anything more!”

And now… Rin had finally made up with his friends in the Iwatobi team, and Nitori was happy for him, truly. He wanted more than anything for his senpai to feel whole again. Except… What about Nitori now? He was back to being just an annoying kohai now. He’d gotten so close, but now he could never Rin’s friend.

Ai’s tears began to flow, he wouldn’t be able to stop them now. At least no one was here to see.

“Nitori?”

He jumped. That voice. No! no! It was RIN’S voice. Rin would see him in this state. What could he do?  Rin turned the corner, and saw him sitting there. His face grew shocked when he saw the tears, and Nitori, who hadn’t even dried himself off after his race, just run straight here.

His voice became unaccustomedly soft. “What’s wrong Nitori?” It sounded so strange to Ai, hearing Rin’s voice so kind like this. The way Rin’s real friends had already made him so much better in less than half an hour, when Nitori had only made a small amount of progress after months of work. That was what sent completely over the edge.

Nitori exploded in a mass of tears and sobs. He was shaking. Rin looked so shocked and scared. Part of Ai wanted to apologize to Rin for making him see this. But why should he, Rin didn’t need him anymore, and Nitori never mattered to him in the first place. Rin should just be a senpai to him.

“What’s wrong, what happened?!” Rin demanded, panicked. “Did someone hurt you? I’ll fucking kill them!”

“Why would you care! I’m just a kohai to you! I don’t matter. I don’t matter to anyone at all.”

“Why would you even think you don’t fucking matter? What the hell?!”

Rin grabbed Nitori’s arm and started walking. “What? Senpai?” “You’re coming with me Ai.”

         Nitori’s tears had started to calm down in sheer shock. Rin had used his first name, and was worried about why he was crying. What was happening? Did he dare hope that maybe…? He meant something to his senpai? Rin threw a towel at Nitori, giving him a chance to clean up, make it look like he hadn’t been crying. Then Rin pulled Nitori back to the pool, to the stands where the teams were watching. Nitori expected to be brought back to his own team and to be dumped there, for his team to take care of. Instead, Rin pulled him towards the Iwatobi team. Ai blinked in total shock.

When they got to the team, and they were looking in interest at Nitori, Rin set his hand on top of Nitori’s head and looked at the other boys. “I’d like you guys to meet, the best friend I’ve met while at Samezuka.”

Nitori had never smiled so wide in his life, even if the smile was still a bit damp from his cry.


	2. Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rin gets a call late at night. Something is wrong with Nitori, and so Rin is worried and angry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 2: Top and bottom
> 
> Thank you anyone actually reading this. These rintori fics are the only fanfics I've shared with other people. I always just write for myself. I thank anyone willing to put up with this poor quality, and I hope someone is able to enjoy this. 
> 
> This chapter contains bullying, skip if you feel the need.

        Nitori was late, by about an hour. It wasn’t like he had to be there on time, Rin told himself, he should stop being upset. It was none of his business when his roommate got home. It was hardly like there was an appointment or anything. Nitori had friends, he was probably hanging out with them. There was no reason he had to be here laying on his bunk and pacing the floor for the past hour. None of this reasoning helped Rin. He couldn’t calm down or stop worrying.

        Someone had asked Nitori out last week. A big muscular guy from the baseball team. That was what was driving Rin crazy. Nitori had turned the guy down. Rin was relieved Nitori had turned him down, though he couldn’t work out why it relieved him. But how upset Nitori had been afterword was concerning. Did he actually like the guy after all?

        Then, for the rest of the week, Nitori’s habits had changed. He was walking different paths to class. He was quieter. He had even skipped practice yesterday. Rin shook his head. It was probably nothing, and anyway, it was none of his business. His friend could do what he wished with his life, it was none of Rin’s business. Yet he kept pacing. Why did someone asking Ai out bother him so much?

         His phone buzzed. Rin jumped He glanced at Ai’s alarm clock as we went for his phone. The clock showed that Nitori was now an hour and ten minutes late.

         Rin flipped open his phone and saw that there were 15 missed texts and 2 calls. The phone must have gone off several times unheard while Rin was brooding. He blinked is shock. Every single message was from Nitori. Something must be very, very wrong.

 

* * *

 

 

        Rin kept running, Nitori should be close now. Ai’s messages hadn’t had any explanation, and that in itself was worrying. He just said “near pool building – help me”. When Rin had tried to call back all he got was the answering machine. “Damn it!” Why did the message say “near”? couldn’t Nitori have been more bloody specific? He slowed, scanning the area. Then he heard it, a quiet cry. He charged to the sound. Nitori was _crying_. He had to fix this. He reached a few scrubby bushes next to the pool building and pulled them apart. Nitori let out a small scream before seeing it was Rin. He snuffled. Rin could tell something was odd about Ai’s face, but not clearly because of the dark night. He held out his hand to help Nitori up.

        “Senpai” Nitori snuffled, taking the hand and letting himself be pulled up. “I, I.” He began shaking.

         “Shhh it’s alright. We’ll talk once we’re back to the room.” Rin let go of Nitori’s hand and turned to head back to the room. He took several steps before he realized Ai wasn’t following him. He turned, and raised an eyebrow. Nitori smiled weakly and moved to follow. He took, three steps before almost falling. He recovered and kept moving to join Rin. Rin’s eyes widened, Nitori was limping. He felt almost frozen until Nitori almost fell again. Rin leapt to help then, allowing Nitori to support all of his weight on Rin as they went back.

         Nitori explained as they hobbled home. They Guy he’d turned down hadn’t taken it well. Nitori had been so upset after refusing him because the guy threatened Nitori afterwards. Nitori’s daily schedule had changed because the day after he’d seen he was being followed, and was afraid. He tried to keep this guy off his tail. But the guy had reached him.

        Rin felt sick to his stomach. “Why didn’t you tell me, ask me for help!?” Nitori jumped, and Rin realized he had just shouted. He made his voice quieter, but the intensity didn’t go down. “Next time tell me. I’ll be right ther-“. His voice cut short. He _hadn’t_ been right there, had he? Nitori seemed to read his mind “It’s ok senpai.” It sure didn’t feel ok. “I’ll kill that asshole” Rin growled.

        Half of Rin felt sickly glad that Nitori hadn’t been acting oddly because he liked the guy. The rest of Rin wanted to strangle that half of himself. What was _wrong_ with him lately anyway Rin wondered.

 

* * *

 

      Rin opened the door and they went back into their room. He helped Nitori to one of their desk chairs (he didn’t care whose at that point). That was when he got his first good look at Nitori in the light. “Fucking hell” he breathed. The eye above Ai’s beauty mark was swelling shut, with bruising also coving more of his face. His lip was bleeding. He reached out and before he knew what he was doing he was stroking the split lip with worry in his eyes. “I’ll kill him” he whispered very softly, before realizing what he was doing and pulling hurriedly away.

       Nitori looked dazed and confused, and rather tired. Rin rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before muttering to his roommate. “you can take the bottom bunk, because of your ankle. I’ll take the top.”

       Nitori grabbed his wrist as Rin began to turn away. “Senpai?” He asked softly. “You don’t think… That guy won’t be the only person to ever ask me out right? No one’s ever asked me out in my life except him, and if he weren’t such an asshole I might have ended up saying yes. He won’t be the only one, right?” Without answering Rin helped Nitori hop the couple steps it took for him to be sitting down on Rin’s bunk. Rin looked into his eye which wasn’t swelling shut and without even thinking about it, gently kissed Nitori’s forehead, then his beauty mark. “I know he won’t be the last person who ever asks you out Ai. I know that for sure. Rin pulled away quickly, embarrassed. He switched the light off and climbed up into the top bunk. He heard the sheets rustle as Nitori rolled over in the bottom bunk. “Thank you senpai” he whispered.


	3. Shark and Duck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 3: Shark and Duck
> 
> Christmas is coming soon. Nagisa is a notorious troll.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my heart Nitori is still a baby seal or a pilot fish, but this is the prompt and the result was very cute.
> 
> Implied Reigisa and Makoharu. Short and fluffy. thanks for reading.

After last year everyone had learned, Nagisa liked giving prank gifts whenever he got a chance. It was still a week before Christmas, but apparently Nagisa was impatient.

Nagisa had learned that it was very very hard to troll Makoto, but he had tried. Mako now had a dog collar which had a name tag shaped like a dolphin attached. Haru had gotten a blow up orca pool floaty.

Two days ago rei was seen wearing the most horrendous “not beautiful” Christmas sweater known to man. It had garish colors and a pattern of little penguins on ice skates. For some reason Nagisa also had an atrocious sweater, his with a Christmas tree decorated with butterflies.

Nitori and Rin stared in fear at their small pile of packages from Nagisa. They had been instructed to open the gifts together, so they were in Rin’s room. Sosuke had been kicked it, worried about what Nagisa might have given them. They didn’t want to be laughed at by either him or Momo.

Both Nitori and Rin had two gifts, and then there was one addressed to the couple together. After watching them as if they might explode for a few minutes, Rin grumbled and reached for the smallest one, which was for him. He fidgeted. You wouldn’t understand why such a tiny box could cause such fear unless you had seen what Nagisa had given him last year. After a couple more angry noises, “why do I have to do this idiocy again?” Rin grabbed and tore off the wrapping. 

He opened the box and pulled its contents out. It was a small rubber duck, which. Nagisa had painted a mole under one of the duck’s eyes. Rin stared at it, before setting it aside. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as last year, but it might just be more embarrassing than last year. 

Nitori opened one of his next, and he got a fluffy shark stuffed animal. “What kind of shark is fluffy anyway?” Rin grumbled. Rin got a pair of pajama pants covered in ducks. Nitori’s final gift held slippers that made it look like sharks were eating his feet. “Why are the sharks fluffy again?” Rin moaned. 

They had made it through their personal gifts with no disasters. This just made the final gift more suspicious. They both watched it carefully, as if it might jump up and attack them. Finally Ai giggled. “we’re being this paranoid about a Christmas gift senpai!” “don’t underestimate Nagisa, anything could be in there.” 

After cautiously opening it, they found a card on top of a bundle of cloth. Nitori took the card as Rin pulled the item out of the box. Unfolding it they both saw a hoodie. It had a shark printed on its front, and the hood had a duckbill and eyes on it. “at least it’s not fluffy.” Rin scoffed. Ai rolled his eyes. “It’s not that bad. look.” He pulled on the hoodie. It was huge on Nitori, since the sweater was a size that fit Rin. He flipped the hood on so his head looked a bit like a duck’s. Rin blushed. Nitori was absolutely adorable. But then Ai insisted on making Rin wear the awful thing, giggling the whole time. But again Rin couldn’t be too unhappy about this, because of how big Nitori’s smile was once he’d finally managed to force his senpai into the sweater. 

“We forgot the card” Rin muttered, trying to still sound gruff. Ai read it out loud. “What I’ve really given you two isn’t just a boyfriend sweater, it’s the greatest gift of all. I gave you guys each other! Now kiss you crazy lovebirds ;p”

And blushing like crazy, they did kiss.


	4. Captain, Teammate, and boyfriend.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 5: Captain and teammate
> 
> Very short response

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I missed day 4, which was AU day. I don't think I'll make it up, but maybe one day if someone wants me to.

Rin was having trouble dealing with becoming the new team captain. He had one very specific problem, how was he supposed to deal with being in charge of his boyfriend. What if he was too harsh on Ai and it hurt their relationship? What if he was soft and went too easy on him? His swimming could get allot worse if Rin wasn’t a good captain first and a good boyfriend second. What if he was biased towards Ai and the other teammates noticed. They’d find out their captain was gay, that was bound to bother a couple of them. What if-

“Senpai, I can tell you’re worrying. And I can tell you that you’ll be great at this. It’s ok.”

Nitori kissed Rin’s nose. Suddenly all of Rin’s worries vanished. That was what Ai was best at, helping Rin deal with everything. He’d learn to walk the line between strict captain and supportive teammate. And he’d learn how to walk the line between demanding captain and loving boyfriend. Ai would help him learn.


	5. It's you I love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Day 6: Australia and Japan
> 
> Rin has just returned from Japan. Ai is acting weird so he asks Sousuke for advice. Sousuke is very tired of both Rin's and Ai's shit.

Rin had gotten back from his trip to Australia with Haru three days ago. Ai had been extremely happy to see him of course. But his boyfriend was defiantly acting different. Dejected? “I just don’t understand WHY. Why’s Ai acting so strangely?” Sousuke Glanced up from his book. “You can’t think of any reason at all?” Rin’s temper flared. “What’s that supposed to mean? You KNOW why he’s been acting like this?” Sousuke turned a page “Maybe. And maybe you should be having this conversation with your boyfriend instead of your roommate.” “Tell me!” Rin just about screamed. Sousuke sighed. “Nitori asked me not to.” “Asked you not to what.” “Tell you he was upset.” The two stared at each other, Rin glaring, Sousuke frowning. “Go talk to Nitori about this will you? I’m tired”

Rin had an idea. “Ai just asked you not to tell me he was upset, he didn’t tell you not to tell me _why_ he was.” Sousuke sighed again. “Nitori knows you used to like Haru right?” The red head blinked. “Ye- wait why do _you_ know that?!” Now Rin was glaring. “Because I’m not blind, and because Nitori told me.”

Rin was just feeling angrier with this conversation. “Yes. I liked Haru. and?” “Surely even you can’t be this dense Rin.” He clenched his fists. He wanted to snap Sousuke’s neck right about now. “What?” It was almost a hiss.

Just then there was a small knock of the door. And Nitori’s voice “Yamazaki senpai, can I talk to you again?” Sousuke was about to respond but Rin held his finger to his lips and slipped into the closet to hide and listen. He waved Sousuke to continue. There was a second knock on the door. Now it was Sousuke’s turn to glare at Rin. He was so tired of both of Rin’s and Nitori’s shit right now. Why did they both have to talk to him? Why weren’t they talking to each other about this stuff? A third knock “Senpai?”

“Alright alright come in.” The small boy took a few steps into the room, staring at the floor and biting his lip. “Sorry for this again but- “You really should be talking to Rin about all this shouldn’t you? He’s your boyfriend not me” Nitori flushed. “But I’m just getting worked up over nothing. I’m being selfish.” Sousuke tried to keep himself from snapping. “He’s been worried about you.” Nitori blinked “What?” The taller boy stood up. “Good heavens even Momo noticed you’ve been acting weird. You didn’t think Rin would?” Nitori dropped to sit on Rin’s bed. “That was before Rin got back, I hoped I was hiding it better now…”

“Why are you trying so hard to hide it from me when you’re upset??” Rin hadn’t meant to snap like that. He’d wanted to keep hiding and find out what was wrong. As it was it looked like he’d almost shocked Ai to death. “I know you went to Australia with Haru to help snap his head into place. I know that.” “I’ve told you I’m completely over Haru now, It’s you I love.” There was an awkward silence Sousuke pulled a face, “See, you guys make progress when you talk to each other about this shit instead of me. I’m going for a run, You had better have this worked out by the time I’m back or else.” The door slammed.

“I know you don’t like Haru. That’s why I didn’t talk to you about being upset.” Now Rin was flummoxed. “Huh.” “I know it’s me you like but… Well, Haru got to go with you to Australia and meet your family over there before I did. That’s it really.” Nitori gave a small smile. “See, it’s not a big deal and I shouldn’t be upset about… Senpai what are you doing?” Rin had grabbed his computer and was typing busily. “I’m buying us two tickets to Australia. For the long weekend we have next month.” Rin looked Nitori in the eyes. “It’s you I love. I love you.” Rin leaned in and kissed Ai.

When Sousuke got back, he found the two cuddled up asleep in Rin’s bunk. He rolled his eyes. “Finally.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last of the prompts I did, I never got around to writing day 7, Rin and Ai. Maybe one day. I am deeply greatful to anyone who read this far. You're amazing and I never imagined anyone would. I really hope you enjoyed imaginary person =P


End file.
